Complications
by Pandora Graves Ben Antivist
Summary: The title is a temporary, working- title, as the story becomes a bit more defined, I will probably find something better... this is the first story I've published, so if I did something wrong, I apologize, and ask that you let me know so I don't have that problem again in the future. thanks :)


This is a story that I, Pandora Graves, had started writing with my good friend Ben. It was started over email, I'd write a few paragraphs and he'd write a few paragraphs, basically, and some of it was typed up and emailed over a cell phone, so it _is_ a bit on the confusing side to read, and I apologize in advance for the many grammatical and/or spelling errors. We graciously accept any constructive criticism, and hope that you take the time to do so.

We together have stopped writing this due to personal issues, but, if you read it and like it, depending on how many people I see like it based on the comments, I will attempt to continue writing it on my own. I currently do not have any other stories or anything on this website, but if you would like to read more of Ben's writing on this website, look up 'Italy and Germany go to AWA,' by BrinkOfTheDarkness. it's a Hetalia fanfic. I will try to get some of my personal works on here, some of which may include the characters you find in this story, as it is a crossover of one of my stories and one of his, but as of right now I don't have any.

following will be a list of my characters you will find here, giving basic background information on them that you don't quite get in this story, that is explained in the story I have expressly for them.

Erik Graves:

Vampire: Father figure/ guardian of the Graves family and anyone

associated with them. older brother of Varjak and Shawnalin Graves.

Varjak Graves:

Vampire: snarky, sarcastic, jerk; twin brother of Shawnalin Graves, likes

Valerie.

Shawnalin Graves:

Vampire: shy, quiet, unless u give him a few drinks, younger twin of

Varjak Graves, does whatever he says. likes Valerie,but because Varjak does too, doesnt do anything.

Vladimir Belladona:

Vampire: non-legitamate son of Erik Graves, dating Shawn D'heart, acts

like a non-chalant emo brick, but deep down he really cares lol

Loretta (Bastette) Jordan:

feline shifter: Older sister of Li Jordan, non-legitamate daughter of Erik

Graves, can be very manipulative of people, and getting guys is not a

problem for her.

Li Jordan: human: non-legitamate daughter of Erik Graves, younger sister

of Loretta Jordan, everything her sister is not; innocent, trusting,

caring, easily gets along with people.

Riley Strix: older twin of Ayden Strix, hates/ is terrified of cats, from

New Orleans, hates the Graves for supposedly killing his parents, can control Ice

Ayden Strix: younger twin of Riley Strix, the manipulative "brains of the

operation", better fighter than Riley, but not stronger, hates the Graves

for the same reason her brother does, can control Fire.

Ana Storm: witch: ex-girlfriend of Shawnalin Graves, only person to ever

heal a creature from the Black Death virus, most powerful witch in Europe,

second most powerful in the world.

Ivory and Ebony Legion: humans: daughters of Lathan Legion (a character from another of my friends' story, he doesn't show up here) they are twins, looking exactly the same in features, but are exact opposites; Ebony has dark hair, Ivory has light, etc.

the rest of the main characters belong to Ben, I cannot write out their information for you, as they aren't my characters... with that, I hope you read and enjoy our story.

(Personal note- Ben, if you ever read this, I hope you are pleased to know that you have finally accomplished writing a story over 40 pages(; ...)

Dominick slowly wiped off the bar one last time, sighing in satisfaction. He threw the rag back next to the bottles and wiped the sweat off of his face. Though it required countless hours of cleaning and improvement, Insomnia was his pride and joy. More than his work as a slayer, Dominick was proud of his joint and how it brought the freaks of Angel Kiss, Massachusetts together as one. He smiled at his work, checked his watch (it read 5:00 PM) and went to the front door, changing the CLOSED sign to OPEN.

It was a special day for Insomnia. It was the special 5 year anniversary, and he had invited all of his friends to celebrate. Yes...even the jokers from Scotland. Dominick went behind the bar and awaited the massive line of kids to enter. This was going to be something to remember.

Varjak, Vladimir, Erik, and Shawn came pushing into Insomnia, joking and laughing.

Vlad with his Dyed Black hair and Violet eye color, and the twins Varjak and Shawn, Varjak with jaw-length dark hair, and green eyes, Shawn with White-blonde hair and silver eyes, both in tattered leather jackets and dark jeans. Vlad was in his classic black skinny jeans and purple t-shirt with a plain black jacket.

Erik was completely clueless as to why they were called here, but Dominick had sounded pretty determined to get him there. He hadnt sounded upset in any way, so Erik wasnt worried, but simply confused.

varjak was in one of his rare good moods, and Shawn was in one of his rare willing-to-be-social moods, and Erik wasnt about to ruin that; he just hoped none of Domicks "people" did either.

Dominick took off his traditional leather jacket and placed it on the bar. He looked at the door and spotted the guys coming in, shifting into an expression of annoyance but quickly masking it with a smile. Easton knew how crazy this lot could get (it was half the reason he had INVITED them there) and he just prayed to whatever god would listen that they didn't take the party too far. Dominick left his spot at the bar to say hello.

He put his hand out as he approached Erik, saying, "Hi there Erik, Varjack, Shawn, Vlad. Nice of you all to come celebrate the club's birthday with us."

Dominick always was uneasy around Erik and his "family" for some reason. Just instinct, really. Still, he tried to hide it since he didn't want his party to be ruined.

Erik noticed Dominick's uncomfortable stance, and took Dominicks hand, "Hello Dominick." Erik gave a pleasant smile, chuckling before he said to him in a thick Scottish accent, "ya know lad, for a bunch o' grown men, they dont act like children, though after that flight we had, if we dont get these lads a drink they might start actin like some."

"'ey, ye cant say crap bout us, brother, we all know ye keep a secret stash in that study o' ye'rs!" shawn laughed, and Varjak agreed, chuckling in their matching scottish accents.

Vlad stood around quietly, like he was looking for someone, and Erik noticed he wad looking especially... groomed tonight, with a light shimmer on his lips, what looked like foundation, and mascara curling his dark lashes.

Dominick laughed, opening up to the guys finally. He motioned at the bar and the empty seats there. "Well then, let's not stand around when we could be sitting. Come! For my friends, all drinks are on the house!"

The club owner went back to the bar and pulled out his finest alcohol, the kind he was saving for such a great occasion. He put a couple bottles and glasses in front of a couple empty seats for the boys, setting aside a bit of Blue Label scotch for himself. Dominick took a small swig of the drink and turned back to the now seated guests. "Feel free to drink up and be merry, gentlemen. I'm waiting on another group to show up. Then we'll all be here to party in style!"

Outside the club, came walking the group of Tarren Dixon, Valerie Solart, and Shawn Flaherty: Dominick's friends from around town. Tarren, a 21 year old with somewhat long black hair wearing a sleeveless denim jacket, black tshirt, and black jeans, had his arm around his girlfriend Valerie, who was wearing a V-Neck black shirt and holey jeans. Their buddy Shawn (a 20 year old Irish lad with black hair and blue highlights through it) was walking behind them, clothed in a Hot Topic style varsity jacket and skinny jeans and wearing light makeup. He looked anxious; nervous.

Outside Insomnia, Li and Loretta stood outside in the cold. "I cant believe you convinced me to wear this." the younger sister(Li) whined, looking down at her pink tanktop coverered by a stylish thin jacket, and Dark denim miniskirt, wearing converse-boots up past her knees.

"Oh shut up, if we're gonna get in, we've got to look the part!" Loretta exclaimed, perfectly at ease in her matching miniskirt, low-cut dark top, and 6 inch heels.

Li's light brown hair laid perfectly on her small shoulders, and her blue eyes were rimmed with a thin layer of eyeliner, whereas her sister, at 17, being a year older than her, had waist-length, wild, curly locks and the vibrant green eyes of a cat, with black eyeliner lining them and mascara accentuating her long eyelashes.

Erik could hear two girly voices complaining at the door, "look, we're with the scottish dudes sitting at the bar... we know Dominick!"

erik facepalmed and downed another shot as he realized who they were.

Vlad downed a couple of shots, his head weighing the pros and cons of what he was about to do...

Dominick looked at front door after hearing the girls complain, groaning in annoyance. He looked to Erik and asked, "Do you mind having them in here? You're technically responsible for them."

Erik shrugged in apathy, so Dominick went over to the door. He saw the girls outside arguing with the bit of security he had hired. "Hello Li. Hi Loretta. Give me a good reason I should let you in. You're underage, ya know."

Only a few feet away came Tarren and the others, nearly freezing in the cold. Tarren spotted Li and Loretta at the door and nearly burst into laughter at the sight. He and Valerie approached Dominick. Tarren chuckled and said, "Hey Dominick. We're finally here. Party started?"

"Yeah. Get in there; the boys from Scotland are here and getting drunk," Dominick said to his long time friend, "I just have to deal with these two kids."

"Ok then. Hey Li. Hope you can get in," Tarren said, smiling as he took Valerie inside.

Shawn quickly followed up behind them, waving to Dominick before entering. He quickly spotted Vlad at the bar and his heart went crazy. On the outside he strictly hid his emotions. This was neither the place nor the time.

"because Shade gave us crappy fake I.D.'s?" loretta said sarcastically, holding hers up by her face, "they dont even LOOK like us!" the picture was of a red headed woman in her late twenties.

Li wrapped her arms around her waist uncomfortably, "our plane left late and THEY didnt wait for us." she pouted pitifully, giving Dominick her best adorable face, "...and its cold."

Loretta rolled her eyes thinking there was no way that was going to get them in.

Vlad downed another shot and turned as he heard Tarren, and his face lit up as he saw Shawn trailing behind. This might be the last time he would get to see Shawn, there was no room for being apathetic or bland. Vlad waved Shawn over, smiling as he patted the barstool next to him.

"That's a tragedy, but I'm not getting in trouble with the cops for letting..." he trailed off as he saw Li's cute, adorable face. It melted whatever stone wall defense he had, and he sighed in reluctance. "Alright. Come on in girls. But no drinks!"

Dominick led the girls in Insomnia, facepalming himself for falling for the face. It was pathetic of him, but oh well. It was the five year anniversary, and it was a time to have fun and not care for rules. As long as they didn't get him arrested, he was fine.

Shawn visibly smiled when he saw Vlad wave to him, going crazy and dashing over to the seat next to him. He jumped onto the bar stool and gave Vlad a tight hug. "Hey there, cutie. I've missed you so much!"

Tarren took a seat next to Erik, taking a shot and shaking his hand tightly. "What's up you old bastard? Finally out of your huge castle to have some real fun with us lowly peasants?"

Valerie hopped up onto the bar and gave the returning Dominick a kiss. "Congratulations on five years in the business, buddy. I'm so proud of you."

Dominick smiled as Valerie stole a drink of Blue Label, with a thank you hug in return. Valerie got down and gave kisses to both Shawnalin and Varjack, affectionately telling them, "Hello boys. Don't get too drunk now."

"ok, no drinks" Li smiled, brightening up as she followed Dominick.

Loretta's jaw dropped, but she quickly regained her composure, walking in, drawing the eyes of nearby emo boys. she gave a flirtatious smile and a wink to some of the cuter ones, but she went straight to the bar and hopped up on the counter as Li sat on a barstool next to her.

Vlad grinned, hiding his sadness; he'd wait until they left... yeah. "have a drink love, it'll do ya good" he laughed.

Erik laughed as he greeted Tarren with a shake of the hand and a rough, fatherly hug around the neck, "how are ye, laddie?" he chuckled as he ruffled Tarrens hair playfully, knowing it annoyed him.

Shawnalin winked as he downed another shot, "us, love?"

"drunk?" varjak echoed.

"impossible, we drink too much!"

"aye, we got a high tolerance, lassie." Varjak laughed.

"high, but still there, lads, try not ta top it, eh? we got an aniversary ta celebrate!" Erik congradulated Dominick on his five year success.

Shawn took a shot to Vlad's health, smiling that vintage grin only he had. He giggled as the alcohol got to him already, extremely happy to see Vlad.

Tarren flipped his hair back to it's normal style, frowning in playful discontent. He pushed Erik back and joked, "Quite well. You get into a yaoi pairing with any of your servants recently?"

Valerie smiled at the two brothers and flirtatiously said, "I'm afraid of what you boys could do if you get drunk. A little girl like me could be hurt."

She turned and looked at Li and Loretta, waving at them. Dominick walked over to the bar and hugged the two small girls. He said, "I swear, if you get me arrested I'm dragging you to jail with me."

Vlad gave his signature half-grin as he put an arm around Shawn's shoulder.

"only you would know ya little brat." Erik chuckled to Tarren.

"pff, we're gentlemen, love," Shawnalin laughed.

"aye, we'd only rough ya up a little!" varjak chuckled in agreement, "im just kiddin, lass... 'ere, have a drink with us." he poured her a shot as he downed his own.

"careful brother, she's got her guard dog 'ere." shawnalin joked at Valeries boyfriend, greeting him.

Li waved back and made a comment on liking Valeries t shirt, just making small talk.

Loretta giggled at Dominicks comment, "now why on earth would i do that?" she smiled as she snagged a shotglass from behind the bar.

"so are we expectin anyone else on yer end, lad?" Erik turned to Dominick.

Shawn affectionately leaned into Vlad's arm, hugging him tight...until it dawned on him. Vlad was acting was more cuddly than usual. Why? He looked at his somewhat boyfriend with big eyes and asked him in a concerned voice. "Why are you so close tonight Vlad? I like it... but still."

Tarren laughed at Erik and took a shot of vodka next to him. "How's business in Scotland?"

Valerie smiled and hugged Shawnalin. "Of course you are babe. And come on Varjack-" she says before kissing him again- "You know he doesn't control me..."

She trailed off before walking down to the concert stage. Smiling, Valerie motioned for Shawnalin and Varjack to follow. "Come on boys. Let's rock the night away."

Dominick immediately took the glass away and put it back. "Come on Loretta. Don't make me give you a time out. Or worse: I'll tell one of the coke addicts in the corner that you think they're hot."

"what? i cant just be drunk and affectionate to my boyfriend?" vlad kissed shawn on the nose, trying not to let those adorable, sad eyes get to him.

"its business, ya know. very boring, and none of yers." Erik chuckled.

Shawnalin laughed and downed another shot before following her, commenting to his brother playfully, "dontcha hate it when a girls gotcha wrapped around 'er finger."

Varjak grinned, and whispered to valerie as he caught up to her, "...then who does?" he winked, refering to her previous comment.

"oh come on, dont be so uptight... i thought this was a party!" loretta thieved it back and li giggled, already through a bottle and a half that no one had noticed.

"It's just not your usual," Shawn said questioningly, but nevertheless he smiled ear to ear from Vlad's kiss. He kissed him back and hugged his small body tightly, never wanting to let go.

"Well you know. Just got to make sure you and your crew aren't doing anything the slayers would have to investigate," Tarren jokingly said with a grin.

Valerie smiled before grabbing the neck of Varjak's shirt and pulling him close. "The best man in the room. And right now I'm not sure Tarren holds that title."

She made a kissing motion towards Shawnalin, purposely trying to get the brothers against one another.

"But...oh, fine," Dominick said as he poured Loretta a glass of vodka and shared a shot with her. He put up a toast with her, "To Insomnia!"

"well it's an unusual night, babe." vlad said seriously, but remembered what he was doing and smiled.

"ha, oh please, laddie, we only kill guilty people..." erik gave an innocent grin as he downed another shot of alcohol.

Varjak knew what she was doing, and he gave a half-grin, wrapping an arm around her waist as Shawn kissed her cheek.

"and who might that be?" shawn asked, swaying to the music.

"whoo!" loretta grinned as she drank her glass, "NOW we're gettin' somewhere!"

outside Insomnia, the 16 year old twin girls showed the security guys their I.D.'s, and the guys waved them inside, with the help of a few twenties and a couple moments of flirting.

Shawn still looked at Vlad with a curious expression, but he pushed his fears and suspicion away and gave Vlad a major kiss on the lips. When he finished he smiled and licked his lips. "Nice flavored lipgloss, baby."

Tarren laughed as he matched Erik's shot with one of his own. "They say that 90% of what a drunk guy says is true. And yet I still don't believe you, you crazy old bat."

Valerie smiled, her fun little game going as she liked. She began to match Shawnalin's swaying and said, "Oh I'm not sure. I'm having to decide between two bad little boys that I have my eye on right now."

Dominick laughed in a mild drunken stupor, before being cut off by a cry of "Hi Dominick!" from the front door. He recognized the voice immediately; it was Ebony and Ivory.

"only for you, love" vlad winked and kissed shawn again.

"ugh, get a room you guys!" loretta laughed as she whacked vlad in the head playfully

"oh shut up, you know you love it." he chuckled.

"ew," she replied as she downed another stolen shot.

"aye, it's cause I give ye the other 10%, laddie!" Erik laughed.

Shawn touched Valerie's nose playfully and said, "you're very manipulative, ya know, love."

Varjak chuckled in agreement.

Ivory gave a seductive smile as Dominick looked their way, and the sisters strutted up to where Dominick was behind the bar, Loretta was neatly balanced on it, and li was sitting on a wayy too much and trying not to look uncomfortable.

Ivory hopped up next to Loretta and hugged her while stealing her shotglass, "how are you?...you werent thinking of starting without us were you?" she smiled.

ebony giggled as she strategically placed herself in Erik's lap, leaning on the bar.

"whoah no, off." Erik chastised, scooting off the stool and making her stand again, "yer Da is gonna be p*ssed enough when 'e hears yer here. no drinkin either."

"aw..." Ebony gave a face perfected by Li and made better by her, glancing at Tarren.

Shawn stuck his nose out at Loretta and kissed Vlad again, practically laying in his arms. He was so happy around him; it was one of the only times he felt happy nowadays. If he were to ever leave...he'd be miserable.

Tarren kept laughing along with his off and on friend Erik, trying to keep up with his intense drinking. Being a mortal man had it's drawbacks: like actually having to stop drinking at some point. Tarren was getting woozy and Erik showed no sign of stopping.

He looked at his girlfriend on the dance floor and frowned until he saw Ebony's cute face looking his way. He hopped down and grabbed her hand, kissing it and saying, "Hello Ebony. Come on over here and I'll get you a drink."

Tarren led her away from Erik and slipped her some alcohol, kissing her cheek.

Valerie smirked and said, "If I wasn't, there'd be no fun," before kissing him on the cheek, leaving a red lipstick mark where she had.

She looked back at Varjack and bit her lip seductively before slightly walking away.

Dominick gave a small smile towards Ivory and gave her a hug. "Welcome to Insomnia. Glad you've come to enjoy the party."

He had no clue about this girl. She was nice and beautiful, but he didn't enjoy relationships much. They never ended well for anyone. A bit of a curse to be honest.

Being with Shawn was the best thing im the world to vlad... and just the small vampire's proximity seemed to be trying to make him feel guilty. But he laughed and played along, taking another shot. Vlad stood, telling the other bartender to just put their drinks on Erik's tab, and Shawn gave a worried, child-like face, until vlad took his hand, "come dance with me love?" he asked.

Erik downed a few more shots, debating on pulling Dominick aside and getting down to business, or letting everyone enjoy themselves a little longer... he shot Vlad a look, and the boy looked so happy with Shawn... maybe he should wait. yeah, just a few more drinks.

Ebony's dark eyes flashed as Tarren took her hand. she flirtatiously eyed him then the drink he handed her, "you know... im really not supposed to be taking drinks from strangers..." she downed the shot in one gulp, giggling.

"aye saw that!" erik called, laughing.

Shawnalin slipped into Varjak's place, dancing with Valerie, shooting his brother a triumphant wink, "true, true, lass." he whispered into her ear.

Varjak chuckled, knowing it was all in good fun, and noticing the frown on her boyfriend's face.

Ivory held out the shotglass between her middle finger and thumb. "may i have a drink, Dominick?" she giggled flirtatiously, "by the way, congrats on tha five years." she smiled.

Loretta grabbed Li's arm, hopping off the bar and pulling Li off her barstool, "good luck with THAT one," she whispered into Ivory's ear, loud enough for Dominick to hear, "he's not very fun to flirt with." loretta winked to show Dominick she was kidding, then she turned to her sister, "come on, lets go dance." She dragged Li into the crowd.

Shawn eagerly took Vlad's hand and followed him to the dance floor like a puppy. He could barely contain himself; he finally was together with his boyfriend and they were interacting openly. It was nearly too good to be true. They reached the stage and slowly began to dance together, until Shawn couldn't hold it in any longer and kissed Vlad, soon transforming into a full on makeout session next to the mosh pit.

Tarren grinned and took his own drink. "Are we really strangers, love? I certainly don't think so."

He knew Valerie loved playing a game with the boys, so if she could then he should be allowed to do the same with the girls. If she was going to complain about him, then he could follow it up with his own complaints.

Valerie held on to Shawnalin's lanky body and danced with him, giving him a flirtatious look the whole time. All fun and games for everyone. That was the joy of dating Tarren; he knew that she was just one for more open relationships.

Dominick flipped off Loretta as she went to the mosh pit, before turning to Ivory. He passed her the close to empty Blue Label and split the final parts of it with her. "Thanks. It's been a rough five years, but I survived with this club. We've grown up together."

"mm," vlad mumbled, pulling away slightly, "weren't we suppose to be dancing?" he laughed, pulling shawn closer.

"well, thats up to you, Tarren." Ebony winked and to him with a flirtatious grin.

Varjak stepped up again, and Shawnalin backed down, a grin on his face. "you know he'll always back down from me, right lass?" Varjak smirked as he wrapped his arms around valeries waist and pulled her close, dancing slowly.

"no thanks!" loretta called as she and Li disappeared into the crowd of people. she may have put off to Li that they were just dancing and flirting with the cute emo boys, but she was looking for someone... and getting convinced he wasnt here.

Ivory continued to flirt, and smile with the older guy.

Erik noticed Dominick's , and decided it was probably a good time to start this conversation.

"Dominick, is there somewhere a little more...private, we can speak?"

Ivory immediately got serious and stood back up, moving to Erik's side. "There is something i believe we need to discuss..." Erik finished, noting the confused look on Dominicks face.

Dominick realized Erik's serious tone immediately and put his drink down. He looked around at the club floor and sighed in frustration. He spotted Tarren a few feet away and called out, "Tarren, buddy! Watch out for me while Erik and I go and discuss private matters, alright?"

His friend looked up from his conversation with Ebony and nodded his head in agreement. "Ok Dominick. Will do."

The club owner walked over to a regular old door close to the bar and inserted a key into the lock, opening it with a creek. He motioned for Erik to follow him, and they both went up and ascended into Dominick's private quarters. Silent and anxious to hear what was the news, the slayer brought Erik into his living room and locked the door behind them.

Dead serious, Dominick moved to the corer of the room and stood looking out the window, checking for anyone that could be demonic or of evil intent. Still investigating, he spoke. "What's the news Erik? Paranormal, extra-terrestrial, or Satanic?"

"none of the above..." Erik took a deep breath, "... Slayers... have ye ever heard of Riley and Ayden Strix?"

At Dominicks blank face, erik felt the need to explain, "they're the best of the best. siblings that kill just to kill. they hunt anything not human, and anyone whos assosiates with them... theyre after me and my family... i was wondering if you could help us... now, im not going to lie to ye lad, it is dangerous, and ye dont have ta do it... i dont want ye to get into anythin' that ya couldnt get out of, but one man to another, im askin' for ye to help me... help me protect my family; because i cant do it alone, and theyre all a bunch of arrogant juvenile delinquents." Erik chuckled dryly.

Vlad saw Erik and Dominick disappear behind that door, and dread settled into the pit of his stomach as he pulled Shawn closer. This might come a little sooner than he'd hoped.

Dominick took in a deep breath and thought the situation over. Working against his own kind to protect those that he had kind of sworn to murder at first sight. He had had a hard enough time convincing the Massachusetts Slayer Society that Shawn was helpful to their group and not worthy of death, but protecting the notorious and wanted Graves Family? The very group of people that were responsible for close to 100 accumulated deaths of not only mortals and supernaturals, but also slayers? By hiding them he would go against orders from the head of the Slayers and defy every "assist your fellow man" code the Society had.

Then again, once you got past his vampirism, Erik was a fellow man too, right? Plus, if the Stryx siblings killed those of any supernatural association, then he, Valerie, Shawn, and Tarren were as good as dead anyways. These two must not work under any of the Slayer organizations he was aware of us; they were part of some renegade faction no doubt. Pro-Humanity zealots. They were a threat to most anyone, not only the Graves.

But where to hide them? "I'm not sure where I could offer you refuge. Not only is Insomnia well known throughout the Slayer Society, but Tarren's house is as well. Shawn's apartment is as well, though... I do have one option, but it is risky. There's no guarantee it will work.

Shawn's suspicion took hold again at Vlad's tight grasp, and he looked up at his boyfriend with big, puppy eyes. "Baby... what's wrong? Tell me..."

"Varjak, Shawnalin, Vladimir and I will be on our own... but anything ye can do ta help us... risky or not... like I said, I'll not have ya do anythin that puts ye in a danger ye arent comfortable in, but... even if ye dont help, i thought i'd at least warn ya." Erik had figured they'd not help, but his family had too many ties with them, so he couldnt just leave them out of the loop.

Vladimir loosened his grip on Shawn, noticing how tight it was. "hm?" his attention wa drawn back to his boyfriend, "nothing, babe, nothing's wrong." vlad pressed a light kiss to shawns lips, "i'm fine," he smiled, taking shawn's hand to pull him back to the dance floor from where they'd moved away from it, "lets dance a little more love."

Loretta frowned as she flirted with a random emo dude; she wasnt really into it tonight, though Li seemed to be enjoying herself finally. oh, where WAS he?!

"I'm willing to do assist in anyway you need. Whether it be food, clothes, or weapons. However, I do know one spot that will take you in and keep you safe, but the hard part is convincing them to. Luckily we have assistance in the form of Ms. Valerie Solart. I think the Witch Gathering of Salem would be a great place for you to hide, but it would come down to their decision. So, perhaps with Valerie, one of their top witches, they'll be more likely to say yes to housing you," Dominick said, formulating a plan as he went.

Shawn's lips quivered briefly, but he tried his best to hide it and follow Vlad to the dance floor again. "As The Raven Crowed" was playing a somewhat slow song, and it fit the mood as Shawn clung on to his partner tightly.

On the rooftop sat Demon Ranger Jinks, making sure they hadn't followed him here. The siblings... Infamous to freelance slayers world wide. He had ran into them while crossing into Massachusetts, and he needed to make sure they weren't here now. That was the last thing he needed. After doing a clean sweep around the building, Jinks slowly climbed down, sneaking into Insomnia like a ninja. Almost a shadow, he slipped onto the rafters above the stage and looked around for Loretta. He spotted her quickly and jumped down behind her, tapping on her shoulder in a suave manner.

"thank you Dominick, ye have no idea how much i appreciate this... i will definately owe ye for this." Erik's Scottish voice was dripping with sincere thankfulness.

Vlad cupped Shawns face in his hand, "hey, its alright, love..." he smiled gently as he trailed off, "you know I lov-... you know i would never do anything to hurt you, right? that i'd always do whats best?" Vlad gave shawn his signature half-grin as shawn realized vlad had almost said he'd loved him in public... at all ... he had to keep SOME reserves, or shawn would know something was up.

Loretta jumped, hissing, and the guy she'd been dancing with glared at Jinks darkly. She turned to face him, trying not to look as overjoyed as she felt. "hello, Jinks."

Dominick put his hand on Erik's shoulder in a comforting fashion, chuckling. "Don't worry Erik. I'll just remember you owe me a favor. I know you'd probably do the same for me, so why should I not for you?"

He went and poured two more drinks of his finest, personal alcohol and brought one glass over to Erik. He raised the glass. "To our partnership."

Shawn giggled and put his head on Vlad's chest, both cuddling and dancing at the same time. "I know that Vlad. I know you only do what's best, even though you can be such an emo brick."

Jink's typical white and black face paint was absent tonight. Instead he wore light gothic makeup and a biker style outfit, combined with his rock star looking hair. He grinned at Loretta's reaction, giving her a tight hug and affectionate kiss on the head. "Hey babe. Sorry for being gone. Was on a work trip."

"thank ya,lad..." Erik raised his glass as well, "aye, may it be as forthcoming as 'tis prosperous, on both ends." they both downed their glasses.

'screw it,' Vlad thought, and stopped dancing. Shawn looked up at him, and vlad kissed him lightly, (noting the random fangirl in the background loljk) "i DO love you Shawn..." vlad whispered almost inaudibly.

Loretta moved away from Jinks slightly, playing hard to get, with a flirtatious grin on her face, "of course you were."

Shawn's eyes lit up, his lips turned into a huge smile, and his heart skipped about five beats. It was the happiest moment of his life... He never thought this day would come, but finally it did. And he never wanted it to end. "I love you too Vlad... so, so much..."

Jinks saw through Loretta's little game and pulled her back tightly, wrapping her in a hug. "Don't act like you haven't missed me. I've missed you in all honesty."

Tarren took a watch over the dance floor and bar, maintaining a conversation with Ebony at the same time. "Yeah, I've been working here for about a year, and it's been a great time. We all enjoy working here. Amazed Dominick has managed it for five years now."

While talking he noticed Dominick and Erik come down from his living space, and he grinned in relief. The boss was back and no worse for wear it seemed. But then he walked over quickly, and Dominick whispered into Tarren's ear: "We have an issue. Go and see if Valerie can get us help from the Witch Gathering."

Vlad noticed Erik and Dominick emerge from the back room, and Erik shot him a look. Vlads smile faded, and he looked down at Shawns smiling face. "...i need to talk to you, love..." he whispered seriously now.

"i did miss you... buuuttt, now i remember why i shouldnt have." loretta smiled flirtatiously and tried to pull out of his hug.

Ebony and Ivory's eyes widened in confusion as they heard what Dominick said.

Varjak's head tilted slightly toward the bar as he heard as well, and Shawnalin shot him a look. "Erik told him." Varjak whispered as he walked away. Shawnalin nodded and continued dancing with yhe clueless Valerie.

The twins flashed their I.D.'s on the way into the club. Nice place, full of humans... and the Graves, along with their associates.

Riley nodded toward the drunken Li, who was now alone because Loretta was now occupied with the other freelance slayer.

Ayden nodded and disappeared into the crowd, looking for the second Graves brother.

Riley approached Li, dancing with her, pulling her close and flirting, and she was completely clueless as to who he was.

Ayden looked around to see the witch dancing with Shawnalin Graves, and Tarren with Ebony and Ivory, Jinks with that shifter... ugh, it made her sick. Then she spotted him; Varjak. her first target.

Shawn's happy mood was cut short by Vlad's statement, and dejectedly he asked, "What is it baby?"

Jinks pulled her back into the hug and gave her a nice kiss on the lips, smiling. "You can't pull the whole 'hard to get thing on me' anymore, doll. I know enough about you to know you can't stand being without me."

Tarren nodded and dashed over to the dance floor as quickly as he could, searching for Valerie. He found her with Shawnalin and pulled her aside. "Hey, do you think the Gathering would be open to helping us?"

Though briefly confused, Val saw Tarren's concern and thought about it. "Probably. It would take a bit of convincing, but with me and a few close friends I have, we could get their assistance, yeah. Why? What's going on?"

"I don't know, but Dominick has that look on his face. He and Erik discussed something, and now they may need all of our help. Be prepared to leave if anything goes down," Tarren said before running back to Dominick, accidentally bumping into Ayden unbeknownst to him.

He got to Dominick and said, "She says they'd probably help. What's going on?"

"Freelance slayers after the Graves and all of us. Be on your guard," Dominick whispered back to his protégée. The news brought the same serious expression to Tarren's face, and he nodded in agreement.

Jinks turned around from his conversation with Loretta, sensing something was wrong. He then saw Ayden and Riley there, ready to enact their plan. Shocked, he cursed out, "S**t no...", before dragging Loretta and Li nearby out of the dance floor.

The band on stage summed it all up, when the lead, ready for the mosh pit to go down, screamed out, "Bring the f***ing chaos!"

"...there's something... we need to discuss... its about us." vlad threw his gaze to the floor as he took Shawn's hand.

Loretta smiled contentedly. "but i can try." she said playfully.

"What's your name, love?" Riley asked Li as they danced. If she wasnt with the Graves, she might be kind of cute, in an innocent, child-like way.

"Li," she giggled, "Li Jordan." The girl had no idea who he was, or she was too drunk to realize.

Varjak saw Ayden the same time Jinks saw Riley, and he and Shawnalin were instantly side-by-side, ready to fight, "this is one of the Slayers after us?" Varjak scoffed, "shes so...small." his green eyes flashed with challenge.

"looks can be deceiving, leech." Ayden sneered.

"sh*t," Erik cursed, realizing what was happening. he rushed through the crowd to vlad, "if yer gonna do this lad, make it quick we need ya." and left.

Riley snagged Li before Jinks could, putting a hand lightly around her throat. "dont make a scene," he whispered to jinks.

Shawn held Vlad's hand tight, his eyes tearing up. "You just told me you loved me Vlad... what do you mean?"

Putting Loretta down besides Tarren and Ebony, quickly telling his friend, "Protect her with your life Tarren. The slayers are here. One of them has Li."

Tarren nodded, shooting Dominick a look and said, "We need to have space. Get the club empty, whatever way you can."

Dominick looked around, his mind reeling. The slayer quickly poured a bit of alcohol across the floor and (with a sigh of reluctance) set it aflame with a lighter from his pocket. The fire quickly grew in size, prompting Dominick to scream towards the crowd, "There's a fire! Everyone get out!"

Somehow hearing him over the music, the kids at the stage scattered immediately, along with the band who grabbed whatever they could and bolted out the door. The stampede briefly provided a bit of space between the siblings and their targets but wasn't good for long.

Jinks dashed back into the chaos and targeted Riley. "Riley Styx! What the hell are you doing!? Do you have no idea of honor?"

Tarren pushed Ivory, Ebony, and Loretta to the door and ran to get Valerie, running past Shawn and Vlad. "Hurry up Shawn, we have issues to deal with!"

"i know, i know babe, and i do... but," Vlad knew his speech had to be rushed, as goth kids rushed for the doors at the sound of 'fire'- "look... i just- this cant work right now." Shawn looked like his tears were about to spill over, "look ill explain everything soon, just, right now you need to get out of here and go as far away as you can... and i will find you.."

"sh*t." Loretta realizee what was going on, and went to get her sister, but Tarren caught her arm.

"where do you think youre going?!"

"to save my sister," loretta rolled her eyes, "im not a fragile flipping china doll."

"no." Tarren said, and that was the end of the discussion as he ushered her, Ivory, and Ebony out the door.

"idea? yes," Riley replied icily to Jinks, slipping a katana from its hidden holster and putting it to Li's throat, pulling the girl close, "need for it? ... nah." Riley chuckled darkly.

Li, though drunk, knew she was in danger, and her eyes widened in fear as she silently begged for Jink's help.

Ayden cursed silently as she lost sight of Varjak and his brother.

Shawn only stood there in tearful shock, not wanting to leave his darling. His fantasy was slowly collapsing around him; his dream was dying right before his eyes. Vlad was abandoning him, just like everyone else had before. It was now a nightmare. It had to be a nightmare. "I don't want to leave Vladimir. I'm willing to go through any pain or danger to be with you."

Pushing the girls out as fast as he could, Tarren turned to Ebony and instructed, "Run as fast as you can. Get away from here. I have to help the guys."

He turned and ran back against the crowd, grabbing a fire extinguisher from the janitor closet in the back. He put out the alcohol fire as quickly as he could, then went to the dance floor to assist Jinks. Tarren saw Li in dire need of help, and ran to protect her. He pulled out his purple tinted sword but found Dominick in his way.

"Go help Varjack and Shawnalin. Ayden's after them. I have the other one," his master told him, taking out his own scythe-like sword to attack Riley. Tarren ran to the brothers and prepared for the worst from the female slayer."

Dominick ran up to the Demon Ranger stuck in a stalemate with Riley as the tension rose. Jinks growled out, "Slayers, whether freelance or not, are bound by a code to kill only those worthy of it. This girl is not worth it."

"Shawn please, please dont do this... i dont want to see you get hurt, and if theres even a remote possibility you could- shawn please just get out of here... i promise i wikl come find you... please..." vlad gave Shawn a light kiss, and nudged him toward the door.

Tarren arrived just as Ayden caught sight of Varjak and Shawnalin again... she had to keep in mind they werent here to kill them... not yet.

"She is a Graves... not human... that's reason enough!" Riley spat, wrapping his free arm around her waist. Li squeaked in fear.

Riley Strix tightened his grip as Dominick came rushing up, "Take another step, and her head goes rolling across the floor; you'll have to mail her back to Scotland in two seperate boxes." he chuckled darkly.

loretta stopped as Tarren closed the door behind her, locking her out. she banged on the door, "let me in! let me back in! they have my f*cking sister! let me in or i'll-" loretta cut herself off as she noticed an open window in the roof of the club.

a slow grin spread across her face as she shifted into her cat form, blending with the shadows as she climbed onto the roof.

A tear slowly ran down from Shawn's eye, but he wiped it off his face and ran to the door. He stormed out onto the street in tears, running past the tons of goth kids in his way. Barely able to see with so many tears streaming down his eyes, Shawn made his way out into the nearby alleyway and broke down sobbing. Unable to control himself or follow Vlad's directions, the poor Irish lad cried and cried in the dark alley.

Tarren tapped Varjack on the shoulder, and (avoiding an instinctive slash of his sword) asked him, "Where's that slayer? Anyone hurt?"

"She may not be like us, but she's as human as anyone could ever be. She has the same feelings and emotions you do. We are suppose to kill those that don't," Jinks lectured him, getting closer and closer to snapping and chopping off Riley's head.

Dominick nodded along to what his ally said, adding, "Why the hell are you doing this? We kill those who are responsible for chaos and death, this girl would never do such a thing."

Valerie barely spotted a shade of Loretta in cat form ascending the building, but was in no way able to stop her. She called out to her, "Loretta no! Don't go in there!" but her cries went unheard.

Vlad joined Dominick and Jinks trying to get Li, this wasnt the time to be worried about Shawn, at least he was safe now... the farther away from the Graves his boyfriend was, the better off he'd be.

"you know," Riley said as he lightly kissed Li's cheek, "i dont think she does... couldnt do that?! ha! ...you didnt tell them, did you?" he whispered to her and she started crying.

"i dont know where tha b*tch went," Varjak spat, wiping his busted Ayden had punched him before slipping into the shadows.

"Riley!" Ayden hissed, coming up behind him and pulling her gun, pointing it at Dominick, "what are you doing?!... this was supposed to be strictly informational."

"it was, i was talking to this little Robin here, till that other slayer recognised us... so i grabbed the girl as insurance." Riley growled.

"let me go," Li whimpered.

"SHUT UP," Riley snapped.

Loretta sat in the rafters watching the scene play out, doing everything in her power to keep from jumping on this guys face and gouging his eyes out.

Dominick pointed his sword out, just itching to run it straight through Riley. He muttered, loud enough to hear, "If you make one more move I kill you."

Jinks backed up his ally on this. "We'll kill the both of you..."

Tarren looked around and spotted the scene not too far from them. The siblings had Li in their grasp, and it looked like the situation was only getting worse for his side. He pointed Varjack and Shawnalin to Riley and Ayden, leading them to the fight.

Hearing a tiny little "meow", Tarren looked up and saw Loretta in cat form hanging from the rafters. He freaked out, trying his best to get her attention, but she was too focused on her sister's predicament.

Riley, lets go." Ayden growled at her brother.

"How do you expect to do that?" he whispered sarcastically.

"We wouldnt be in this if you had've listened to me in the first place." She glared, cocking her gun as Dominick shifted, "Stay back!"

Loretta couldnt take it any more. She lept from the rafters, landing on Riley's shoulder, digging her claws into his skin.

He cursed and let Li go, scrambling to get Loretta away from him. There was the sound of Ayden's gun firing an accidental shot to the ceiling. Li rushed to the open arms of Vlad, and Loretta tuned out as she clawed at Riley's face, eyes, neck, anything she could get at. he finally swatted her down, and everything went black as she hit the floor.

Vlad put his arms around Li, who was shaking and crying, as Riley cussed and spat, Ayden tried to keep the slayers away from them. when Riley finally knocked Loretta away, Ayden pulled something from her pocket and threw it to the ground. Smoke came rising from the broken object, and filled the room with a hiss.

...When the smoke cleared, the twins were gone.

Jinks held Loretta tightly in his arms, trying to keep her from shaking. His breaths were deep and heavy; he was in shock over nearly losing the girl he cared the most about. That was too close...never again.

Dominick yelled in anger, kicking a nearby chair. "They crashed my party, tried to kill my friends, and got away?!"

Tarren came up from behind and grabbed him, restraining him from doing any further damage. "It's ok Dom. We're just lucky no one was hurt."

Jinks, still shivering over what just occurred, muttered out, "We need to get out of here. Except Dominick. You still need to tell the firemen how there was a fire... The rest of us need a safe place."

Tarren spoke, "I'll go get Valerie. She'll direct us to the Gathering. Hopefully it won't be far."

Dominick nodded. "Anyone got a vehicle? I don't think we want to be walking all the way there."

Li composed herself and ran over to her sister and Jinks, "are you okay?" she asked.

Loretta's eyes fluttered open and she smiled, having shifted back to her human form, "did i get 'im?" she frowned as she noticed one of her heels was broken.

Li just laughed, even though her hands were shaking and the room was spinning a little.

Vlad was already regretting his decision... what if Shawn did something stupid? What if the twins had already seen them together?...then they could be going after him alone... he should have stayed with him... now he had no idea if Shawn was ok, if he was safe, or being hunted!

Erik put a hand on Dominick's shoulder, pulling him aside, "see what i meant? these kids are trained. they're good at what they do and they dont give up... are ye sure ye still want ta help, laddie?"

"yeah, i got a truck; we should all be able to fit in it, girls included," Varjak spoke up in reply to Dominicks question.

Jinks smiled and picked Loretta up like a child in his arms, carrying her so she didn't have to walk. He kissed her affectionately, whispering into her ear, "You nearly died... I nearly lost you... It was brave though... Extremely brave."

Tarren tapped Vlad's shoulder and pointed outside. "Let's go look for our loved ones. Shawn's out there I think. If I know him, he hasn't gotten far."

The two walked out as Dominick nodded in agreement with Erik. "I could take the easy way and leave you to die.. But I'm not one for the easy way."

He turned to Varjack. "Go and get the car quickly. We'll have to stop by Tarren's house so we can get supplies. Time is of the essence."

"it wasnt that bad..." loretta mumbled, the world spinning and swaying as Jinks held her. her head hurt extremely bad, "im jus... im jusgonna sleepfora- a while..." she slurred, closing her eyes and leaning her head against his shoulder.

"Is she okay?" Li asked Jinks as her sister lost consiousness, a look of child-like worry on her face

Vlad strode out of the club as fast as he could, looking for Shawn D'heart... his heart.

Erik dipped his head, showing his thanks, but at a loss for words... He vaguely wondered if Dominick remembered... surely if he did he wouldnt be helping them...

Varjak nodded and Shawnalin tossed him the keys. He left the room at a jog, flitting to the truck once he got outside.

Jinks nodded his head, keeping his cat close. "She'll be fine. She just needs to rest. The excitement got to her I guess."

Dominick turned and pointed to the door leading up to his private room. "Erik, come up and help me get my stuff. I need my weapons."

Tarren ran out behind Vlad and scanned for Valerie. He had told her to leave, but knowing her stubbornness she had probably stayed behind. And what do you know, there hid witch stood at the edge of the crowd. He dashed up to her, hugging her tight.

"You're okay!" She exclaimed in joy.

Tarren nodded and said, "I am, but we need to get to the Gathering now. There's not time to idle around. Come with me to Varjack's truck, we have to get out. Where are the other girls?"

"Loretta went inside, but Ebony and Ivory are avoiding me over there," she pointed off. The sisters were standing on the opposite side walk, not paying Valerie any attention.

Tarren groaned. "Ebony, Ivory! We have to go! Follow me!"

Shawn...was gone. Not in the alley...not anywhere...

Li nodded, but didnt stray far from Jinks and her sister as they got ready to leave.

"of course," Erik snapped out of his thoughts, following Dominick upstairs quickly.

Ebony and Ivory stood on the sidewalk, looking out for Riley and Ayden. at the sound of Tarrens voice, they both turned their heads in unison, and Varjak pulled around the corner in the truck. Tarren and Valerie climbed in, and the twins followed close behind.

Vlad wandered about in the street, getting farther away from Insomnia, calling out for Shawn. His voice got more and more insistant as he couldnt find Shawn, his eyes finally tearing up, his voice cracking. "Shawn!" he screamed, his throat getting hoarse, "Shawn where are you?!" he yelled a curse as he punched the brick wall of the closest building, shattering a bit of it, "f***! i cant find him! why cant i find him?! SHAWN!"

Shawnalin led Li, out of the club down the road from where Vlad was, Jinks following behind, carrying Loretta, all piling into the Graves' truck.

All of them piled quickly into the truck. Doing a head count, Tarren noticed that they were missing four: Dominick, Erik, Shawn, and Vlad. The first two were still packing up there, he knew, but the others he was unaware of. Tarren looked out and saw Vlad wandering the streets, calling out for someone.

"Vladimir! We have to go now!" Tarren screamed at the boy.

Up in the room, Dominick ran out from his closet carrying several swords and guns, all with the purple tint demon slayer weapons carried. He tossed them into a bag in a careless rush, wanting to get out of here quickly. He knew he had to stay and deal with emergency services, but he needed to get the others to safety.

Dominick turned and looked at Erik, who was putting weapons into another bag. "You have to go. The slayers may cut you off or ambush you if you don't hurry. Just take these bags and head out. Ill catch up."

" No!" Vlad

screamed back, "Im not leaving without him! not till i know hes safe! if you have to go then go!" tears ran down his face at that point...he should never have tried to split them up... GAH how could he have been so foolish?!

"we cant leave without you!" Ebony yelled out the window.

"JUST F*CKING GO!" Vlad spun in a circle, trying to think of where shawn might have gone.

Erik slung both bags over his shoulder, careful not to touch anything with that faint glow. "Are ye sure ye dont want me ta stay with ya for in case they come back, laddie?" he asked, realizing splitting the group might not be a good idea.

Tarren hopped out of the car and went to Vlad, grabbing him by his shoulders. He was dead serious as he spoke. "Vlad, Shawn's gone. He's not a child, I'm sure he's fine. Right now, everyone in that truck is more important than him. We're not leaving without you; get in. I promise we'll find him."

Dominick tied the two bags shut and handed them to his friend. "I'm certain. If they do come, I'm perfectly capable of taking at least one of them down. You're the most experienced here. You have to protect your family...and mine."

"nobody's more important than him..." vlad said defeatedly, letting Tarren guide him to the truck.

"I will." with that, Erik rushed down the stairs and outside to the truck. He tossed the weapons into the bed, and went to the drivers door.

Varjak got out with a glare, climbing into the back and pulling Valerie into his lap with a dark grin.

Vlad climbed in behind Varjak, and Li climbed into his lap. "he'll be okay, Vlad... he'll miss you too much and come find you." :3 Li assured him in her innocent childish way.

Dominick looked at the truck and said a silent prayer to anyone that would answer. If Erik was correct about the slayers' full power, then they could be their strongest opponent yet. "Stay strong kid."

He slowly walked back downstairs and picked up the tossed tables and chairs, preparing his story.

Tarren breathed out in relief, giving Valerie a kiss. He looked towards Erik driving and told him the directions to his house. "Go as fast as the law allows; the law of outlaws, that is."

Jinks held his darling tightly, muttering minor incantations of protection over her limp body. He could hear her breathing; that was good. If they touched her again...he'd kill those slayers on his own.

Erik drove, spedometer pushing past 80, gliding at 90 as he sped to Tarren's house.

"do we need to get out and help you when we get there?" He asked, not taking his eyes off the road.

Loretta weaved in and out of consiousness, listening to the whispers. "Jinkss..." she mumbled. his voice sounded so far away ... why wouldnt he come closer?

Vlad held Li, comforting her as they drove. His mind ran with thoughts of Shawn and what could've happened to him. Even if he wasn't with the slayers, he could still be in danger. Li fell asleep halfway there, and when his arm went numb, he didnt dare move it...God he hoped Shawn was okay.

"Gosh, what the F*CK?!" Ayden yelled at her brother, "What were you thinking?"

"I f*ckin hate cats." He muttered, ignoring her, his Cajun accent showing in his anger as he stitched a cut in his cheek from that d*mn shifter. ha, he hoped she was happy with that dose he gave her... but he wished he could see their faces when she started coughing up blood.

Tarren shook his head to Erik's question. "No. Valerie and I can get everything we need. Just drop us off. If the slayers come along, just leave without us."

Valerie clutched her boyfriend's arm tightly, ignoring her little game with Varjack. The situation was turning more serious by the second, and now was not the time for flirting.

Jinks continued chanting, a small tear running down his painted face. He could feel Loretta in agony, in fear, and it physically hurt him to see that. Riley and Ayden caused this... They were going to feel this pain a thousand times over when he got to them.

Shawn drifted aimlessly down the street, heading towards...somewhere. No clue where...but he was going somewhere. His eyes were clouded by tears...his mind polluted by depressing thoughts... His boyfriend left him... It was over... Such a trivial thing to be upset about, but to Shawn, Vlad had meant the world. And his world had just collapsed.

Erik nodded and simply kept driving.

Varjak shot a look across the seats, and whispered something to Shawnalin.

"Vlad... Did you try texting or calling him?" Shawnalin kept his voice low in respect of Li sleeping. Her insomnia was well known with the Graves, several of them had woken up with different colored hair because of late-night 'art projects', so it was best to let her sleep.

"no," vlad realized, pulling his phone out if hsi pocket, moving as little as he could, and texted Shawn with one hand.

'Shawn... Where are you? Look, im really sorry... i shouldnt have done that... I want to make sure youre safe... Shawn please 4give me... Im so sorry. We're headed to this witch Gathering place... Please come here... Please...'

He didnt have great service, and he didnt know if shawn even had his phone on him, but it was worth a try...

The whispers got louder, ringing in loretta's ears. "Shhhh, be quiet," she muttered to them. Her head hurt, why couldnt they be quiet?!

something jarred her and she could faintly hear Erik cursing, but she ciuldnt tell from where... "Jinksss... Jinks i dont feel so good... Jinks where are you?" Loretta couldnt muster the energy to even open her eyes, and her words slurred.

Erik cast a glance back at Loretta, Jinks, Li, and Vlad as he hit the large hole in the road, unable to stop the colorful language that slipped quietly from his mouth.

Jinks stopped his chants and just held Loretta in his arms. "I'm here baby. I swear I'm going to make you better. I swear it on my life."

Tarren intertwined his fingers with Valerie's, smiling. Everything was going to Hell, but they were going to stand together. They had their games, but when push came to shove nothing would break them apart. He glanced at her frightened face. "Hey: smile, kid. We got this."

Valerie giggled, trying to relax. "Yeah... We've fought worse and came out on top."

Shawn's phone beeped from inside his pocket. Instinctively, he reached down and picked it out. He saw the notification that Vlad had texted him...

He almost checked it... He almost read it... But he couldn't. He continued his walk down the boulevard of broken dreams to... Stoker Avenue. Tarren lived on this street. Maybe he could crash at his place...

loretta clung to jinks a little bit tighter, using what energy she had to try to get him to listen to her, "please make them stop," she slurred... Jinks had stopped talkinh to her, "j...jinks? Where'd you go? Please, can you make them sto-" she .off by a fit of coughs.

Vlad rolled his eyes at Valerie and Tarren's spontanteous romance. As they got closer to Tarrens street, Vlad texted him again,

'Shawn... Where are you, Love? ...please... Answer me.' »send«

Vlad sighed, and cast his glance out the window.

They turned onto Stoker Avenue. There was a shape, outside, walking down the street.

"Stop the truck, stop the truck!" Vlad said to Erik, but was out of the vehicle before Erik even touched the brake. He slipped out from under the sleeping 16 yr old Li so fast she just continued sleeping in the same position on the seat.

Jinks shot a look at Erik, trying to maintain his composure. Doing his best to stop her pitiful cries, the demon ranger planted another kiss on lips. His voice cracking, he asked, "What's going on with her? What's did they do to her?"

Tarren reached out to stop Vlad but was too slow for the vampire. He called out, "Vlad, what the hell are you doing?"

Valerie, knowing full and well how Vladimir felt, face-palmed and shushed Tarren. "Let the boy go. He's in love."

"That love is going to be the death of us all," Tarren groaned.

"You can't say anything Tarren. You've been in absurd puppy love before; you know what lengths it drives you to."

Shawn continued his walk down the street, unaware of who was quickly approaching him. Suddenly, he found himself in a tight bearhug from behind. He had no clue who it was, but considering the smell of hair dye, makeup, and the slightest bit of perfume mixed with leather pants... it was probably Vlad. Or a gay biker.

Erik met Jink's eyes in the rearview mirror. He knew exactly what it was... But, there was no use in making any more worries about it, there was nothing they could do right now. "i dont know..." Erik threw his eyes back to the road.

Loretta squealed quietly as the whispers turned into a high-pitched whine. She thought her head was going to explode, and it suddenly felt as if someone were stabbing her in the stomach. She started coughing, and she felt something coming out of her mouth, but she was too exausted to open her eyes to see what it was (Li woke up to the sound of her sister's coughing, and sat up to see blood running out of Loretta's mouth)... Where did Jinks go? Loretta tried calling his name, but it just made her choke.

Vlad spun Shawn around. "oh my god youre okay, youre okay! Why did you- im sorry, im so sorry shawn, i shouldnt have done that, im so sorry, im so glad youre safe!" tears ran down Vlad's face, and his arms fluttered around shawn, not actually touching him, as vlad looked him up and down making sure he was okay.

Jinks did his best to clean up the blood, wiping the tears out of his eyes. He held her close to his chest, in some vain attempt to heal her. The ranger had no clue about medical magic, so was at a loss in this situation. He cried under his breath, "...help me... please..."

Tarren looked at Loretta with a sad expression, then ripped off a part of his sleeve to clean up the blood. The witch beside him had a bit of a realization and pulled out a knife from her pocket. A small little switchblade, unable to do any real damage, but was good enough to make a minor cut on someone. She took a breath and cut her left index finger, then crawled over to Loretta. On her pale forehead, she used the blood to draw a Wiccan symbol for healing, then gave a small prayer to the God and Goddess. It could relief her of some pain, hopefully.

Jinks growled at Erik. "Tell me now, you bastard."

Shawn tried his best to smile, to laugh at Vlad's insanity. But it was impossible... Try as he did, Shawn couldn't maintain himself, and fell into Vlad's open arms, sobbing. He practically collapsed in exhaustion, having to rely on his boyfriend for support.

The loud screeching suddenly stopped as someone touched Loretta's head, but her stomach still hurt, she couldnt stop coughing, but she was so exhausted... She just wanted to sleep... Loretta's thoughts were scrambled, and the only thoughts she could string together was that she needed to sleep, and find Jinks...

Li sat curled up on the seat as her sister coughed up blood; wide-eyed and silent... Li was completely silent.

Ebony crawled across the seat to sit next to her, putting her arms around the girl consolingly, "its okay, hey dont look... It'll be just fine, she'll be okay."

Li just nodded, saying nothing.

"F*ck." Varjak cursed under his breath, shooting Shawnalin a look.

Erik nodded as he pulled into Tarrens driveway, "Go get what you need, i'll explain what this is." He said to Tarren solomnly.

As Tarren and Valerie got out, ivory jumped at her chance, opening the door and crawling out of Shawnalin's lap, "can i borrow you guys' bathroom?" She asked, grinning sheepishly even though this was sooo not the time.

Vlad wrapped his arms around Shawn, stroking his dark hair, "im so sorry... Im so sorry Shawn." Was all Vlad could say.

"You certainly enjoy being secretive with your crap, don't you?" Jinks asked in a cold voice. He shot Erik a look of disdain, petting Loretta's soft head as he did.

Tarren and Valerie hopped out of the truck and, once Tarren helped Ivory out, ran inside the house. The slayer directed Ivory to his bathroom, then proceeded to dash inside his bedroom and open his closet. Inside were a massive collection of swords and other miscellaneous weapons he had collected from his adventures in slaying, all with the same purple tint that all demon swords had. He and Valerie took out a good six of them, all packing them into a bag. Valerie took out and packed a few witch supplies she stored at Tarren's house, just to be safe. She made certain to pack things for medical use; Loretta needed all the help she could get. In a quick couple of minutes they were finished and ready to head back, when Tarren noticed someone riding up to his driveway. Dominick, in his traditional customized hearse. Even though it was rather obvious for a demon slayer, Dominick loved the theatricality of his car, and drove it everywhere.

Tarren waved at him and ran to the car, throwing his bag in Varjack's truck bed as he did. Dominick rolled down the window. "Insomnia's closed up for the night. Those kids were pissed, but oh well. Everyone ready to go to the Gathering?"

"Yeah. Just have to get the loverboys over there and we can head off. You driving separate?"

"Yep. It's best. We don't one everyone in one car. Too easy for the slayers."

Shawn looked up and planted a kiss on Vlad's face. "Where are we going?"

well considering the history of this, its probably for the best..." Varjak muttered.

Loretta leaned into his hand subconsciously, oh her head bad... "i jus-... Jus' need to sleeep..." She mumbled, blood dribbling down her chin.

"No... No lori, youve gotta stay awake." Li stated, grabbing her sisters hand.

"Ok..." Erik turned in his seat, and Shawnalin did the same. "This is a... Disease, i guess you could say, that targets non-humans. Its been around for centuries," Erik started.

"we've had some...contact with it as it's progressed." Shawnalin noted quietly.

"The first trial-run of it ended up as the Black Plague, despite what youve read in history books... it has been... Modified throughout the years to only target creatures like us-" Varjak scoffed at that, but Erik continued, "and they were able to single out specific things that would happen once the creature got the virus, depending on what... Kind they are; um, for example, Loretta is a shifter, so its different for her than it would be if, say, i got it. It can only be injected, so i'd say Riley gave her a shot when she was attacking him..." Erik finished solomnly.

"We've only ever seen one way to cure it." Varjak said.

"Is the 'Gathering' witches coming from everywhere, or just around here?" Shawnalin asked.

When ivory emerged from the bathroom, she found Valerie and Tarren, asking if there was anything she could help with.

Jinks held Loretta even tighter, making sure to never let her go. "That monster... I'm going to kill him. I'll kill both of them... They're going to regret hurting you, my love... I swear it."

Tarren shook his head to Ivory's question, replying, "No. Just go and get Vlad and Shawn. We need to head off."

Dominick checked behind his car before starting to drive off. "Tarren, I'm going to start the trip. I know where the Gathering's at, so I'll meet you there. Plus, I'll be able to check and make sure the coast is clear for all of you. Stay safe, kid."

Valerie, already in the truck again, said, "The Gathering is generally made up of witches and male warlocks from Salem, but it's common to have visitors from far off. It's a time for trading information and knowledge, so we encourage foreign magic users to come and help us learn more. At least one person there should know a suitable cure for this. Here:"

The witch began working on Loretta, using whatever she could to ease her pain. He hands nervously twitched around, but like a real doctor she worked past that and did all she could to help. Cleaning up the blood, giving her an herb to chew down, and using various other witch healing methods she had at her disposal, she just prayed that it would all help in some way.

"Im sorry lad..." Erik said to Jinks.

Loretta squeaked as the slayer tightened his arms around her, unable to help it as her ribs felt like they were imploding.

"I'd avoid holding her too tight, lad... That version of BD targets her feline fragility; you could snap her bones with probably two fingers." Varjak growled.

Ivory nodded, rushing out of the house. Being in the slayer's house made her uncomfortable. "vlad! Shawn!" She called, "come on, lets go!"

"have met a witch named Ana?" Shawnalin asked Valerie quietly, "Ana Storm?"

Varjak shot him a look like he was going to punch him in the face, but held back.

The stuff Valerie was doing helped a lot, even though Loretta felt nothing near better, "jinks..." She managed to whisper, "... Am- am I going to die?" A tear slipped down her cheek as she looked at him. She could breathe better, and the pain in her stomach was lessened a bit by the herb Valerie had given her to chew.

Jinks lightened his hold on her, whispering, "No baby... You're going to survive... If you do, I won't stop fighting till I bring you back from Death."

Tarren hopped in to the truck behind his girlfriend, giving her a kiss after seeing her work. He shot Erik a look. "Follow Dominick. He'll lead us there."

Shawn heard his name and spotted Ivory motioning back to the truck. He hesitated. "If I come along, will I just get in the way, Vlad?"

Valerie took a second from her witchcraft to kiss Tarren back, and pondered Shawnalin's question. "I think so. The name sounds familiar. She may be at the Gathering."

Loretta gave a weak smile and closed her eyes, her head throbbing again.

"Ok," Erik replied, starting the truck again, "Come on guys! Hurry up, we aint got time ta waist, lads!" He called out the window.

Ivory headed back to the truck.

"no. God, Shawn, no you wouldnt get in the way." Vlad tugged the boy toward the truck with him, climbing in quickly before erik decided to leave without them.

"shes the only witch ive ever seen be able to fix this." Shawnalin said.

"She was also his girl back in tha day, remember brother?" Varjak laughed, "the good days.

"I dont like to talk about that... Millenium." Shawnalin replied, a light blush coming to his cheeks.

Jinks kissed her head, holding her like a child. He leaned in and whispered, "Go to sleep. I'll wake you when we reach the Gathering..."

Shawn crawled into the truck and eagerly sat on Vlad's lap and kissed him, to the groans of... well, most everyone around them. Shawn flipped them off and gave Vlad another kiss, happy to be back. He took a look around and noticed Loretta and immediately hushed himself. Though he had no clue what was wrong with her, he didn't want to disturb her. They were like the typical "girl and gay best friend" pair, and seeing her in any sort of pain was depressing.

Valerie quietly giggled at the brothers, adding, "She may or may not be there. Hopefully she is. If not...we'll find a way."

Loretta nodded, immediately drifting off to sleep.

"well if shes not, we'll have ta get a plane ticket." Varjak rolled his eyes.

"ha... Yeah." Shawnalin chuckled dryly, lost in thought.

_'The girl convulsed, blood pouring from everywhere possible on her small body. Varjak stood in the corner of the stone room, one hand chained to the wall to make sure he didnt attack her._

_"Are ya sure ya dont want to leave, brother? It'll be painful for her... We'll simply let ya know when we're done." Shawnalin said cheerfully. He stood with one arm around another girl, one with waist-length silver hair and eyes to match, and a goblet in the other hand, overflowing with a thick red liquid._

_Varjak shook his head, a restrained look on his face, "no. No, i wont leave her." He spat._

_"very well then," he nodded to the silver-haired girl, "you may proceed."_

_The girl nodded, then dropped to her knees next to the other girl, chanting the spells._'

Shawnalin snapped oit of the memory as Varjak cleared his throat loudly, shooting his brother a look.

...~one otherwise uneventful truck ride later~...

Erik turned off the truck; they had arrived.

The Witch Gathering was typically held in a secluded, open field, and the only way to make it through was a deep forest guarded by several warlocks. The truck had arrived at the gate separating the forest from the field; in front of them Dominick was waiting outside his gothic hearse. Arms crossed, he approached the truck full of vampires and slayers, greeting them anxiously. "Come on Val. These warlocks are making me nervous."

A handful of powerful looking male witches stared at the company, ready and wiling to kill anyone who looked at them the wrong way. They eyed the truck uneasily, sensing the supernatural energy compacted inside. But they also noticed slayers and a witch in there, making them hesitant to fire on them.

Valerie climbed out and walked to the gate, greeting the warlock she recognized. Their following conversation was unheard by any but them, giving the crew a bit of time to collect themselves. Jinks slowly brought Loretta back to consciousness, waking her up like a prince with a kiss.

"Come on, kitty. We're here. You're going to be okay," Jinks comforted the tired girl.

Tarren and Dominick grabbed their bag full of weapons and strung them over their shoulders, checking out the scenario. Tarren muttered, "Think it's safe?"

"Is it ever? This is just safer than most places. Keep the Graves on close watch. We don't want any trouble," Dominick told him.

Shawn jumped out of the truck, followed by Vlad as he clutched onto his arm tightly in fear.

The Graves piled out of the truck, and Varjak took a defensive stance as Ivory, Ebony, and Li stood fearfully behind Shawnalin and himself.

"its never safe." Erik chuckled dryly to Tarrens question, "dont worry, ill keep my brothers in line."

Shawnalin immediately left the group, going to one of the Warlocks guarding. "Draven," he greeted.

"Hello, Shawn." The man gave him a dark look and shook his hand, "how've ya been, brother?"

Shawnalin smiled, "im no longer a brother... But we'd like your help."

Loretta nodded, and slowly sat up, but she didnt think she could walk. She frowned in frustration at herself.

Vlad angled himself between Shawn and the Warlocks who were glaring at them.

Jinks gently picked Loretta up and carried her out of the truck. He brought his darling next to the others, making sure to shield her from the overbearing sun. He spotted Shawn, then looked to Varjack. "Who's your brother with?"

Shawn clutched onto Vlad even tighter, frightened by the warlocks. The witch community was wishy-washy when it came to vampires, but if they knew Shawn's backstory, they'd kill him on sight. "Baby... I love you... No matter what troubles we encounter."

Tarren chuckled and gave Erik an understanding nod of the head. "Let's just hope that the Gathering takes pity on us. Valerie does have a way with convincing people."

"Yeah: her boo-" Dominick started before being cut off by a death glare from Tarren.

"Finish that sentence and I'll kill you Dom..."

"My brother used to have... Associates in the community; Draven Slaughter is one of them. Watch your back with him, he'll screw you over before you can blink..." A dark look entered Varjaks eyes as he stepped away from the Slayer to join his twin, "...and leave you to pick up the bodies." He finished quietly, thinking Jinks couldnt hear.

"we wont have ANY trouble, right?" Vlad said loud enough for the guards to hear.

There was a general sarcastic chuckle as most of them recognised him. He'd... Angered a very powerful witch once. Ha. And he'd gotten immortality from it. Oh joy.

Erik gave Dominick a creeped look, "yer practically 'er FATHER, Dom." He facepalmed, chuckling.

"Ew." Li mumbled.

Loretta fell to her knees in the grass, letting out a cry that shuddered souls. Blood ran from her nose and mouth, staining the green grass, and the color began to drain from her skin, leaving her a dull grey.

A dark smile spread across Draven's face as he saw her. Shawnalin turned to Valerie, "we need to get there. NOW." He said.

Jinks ran over to Loretta and picked her back up, rushing over to Valerie and Shawnalin. The warlocks became incredibly anxious as he approached, but held their grounds. They knew Jinks, the demon ranger of infamy. They were more worried over his friends.

Jinks cried, "Let us through! I'm not going to stand by and see her in so much pain."

Valerie gave a pleading look to Draven, and said, "Please... You know I'd never endanger the Gathering. I fully trust the Graves.."

Dominick and Tarren got their things together and motioned for the group to come with them. They all walked towards the entrance gate, with the mentor slayer letting out a weak sigh. "It was still funny..."

Shawn walked hand and hand with Vlad, ignoring the odd looks from the warlocks. He loved Vlad, and even though it would get them stared at, he was going to display that love openly. He'd go to hell and back with him, hand in hand.

Draven nodded, and the Warlocks let them through.

He gave Ebony a look that was almost predatory as she passed and she angled herself to where Dominick was between them, using the man as a... "human" shield

Erik chuckled at Dominick, but said nothing more.

Loretta couldnt even tell what exactly hurt anymore, but she could barely breathe from the excurciating pain that pulsed through her body. She had a vague thought of 'is Jinks okay?' Because she could see so much blood on as her.

Shawnalin stopped, turning back to Draven, "Is Ana here?" He asked quietly, an authority that hadnt been in him in years returned to his voice.

There was a surprised look from Draven, but then a nod, "ask for Severin. He should know where she is... Welcome back... Brother." Draven smiled.

'this was a part of my past i hoped not to see again.' Shawnalin thought as he told Valerie the guy's name.

Vlad pulled his hand from Shawns, but put it around his boyfriend's shoulder before the boy could say anything.

Valerie nodded as Shawnalin spoke to her. "Severin... Yeah, Severin Lethia. I'll show you to him-"

"Did I just catch Valerie Solart saying my name?" A voice spoke out behind her.

She turned and found a 22 year old warlock, dressed in a long, gothically flamboyant robe with long, flowing dark brown hair: Severin. Her EX-boyfriend...

"Yes Severin, and I hated even having to acknowledge your slimy existence," Valerie spat at the boy as he laughed. "This is Shawnalin Graves. He wants to know where Ana is. Ana Storm."

Severin thought it over in his head and looked at Shawnalin. "She may be busy. What's your business?"

Tarren and Dominick, having prior knowledge of the Gathering's layout, led the group to a section in the middle of the crowded clearing. Several witches and warlocks looked at the motley crew, but kept on with their daily lives. Tarren turned to the group as they walked to a large tent set up, guarded by more intimidating warlocks. "This is where the head witch lives... Be respectful. She has the final say on our stay here."

Jinks growled, holding his girlfriend close to his heart. "As long as she helps Loretta, I'll be fine and dandy."

Dominick tapped Ebony on the shoulder. "What's with that warlock guy we passed? Any history with him?"

Shawn wrapped his arm around Vlad's small waist, content with this. "I take it you're infamous amongst these freaks too, huh?"

Shawnalin was about fed up with being questioned. His temper snapped, "Just f*ckin tell 'er Shawn's here ta see her. We dont have time for this sh*t!"

Even Varjak took a step back. 'Now thats the brother ive missed.' He thought as he dipped his head respectfully to Severin.

Tears ran down Li's face as she approached the man, "please help my sister," she whispered.

"him?...uh... No... I- ive never seen him before." Ebony threw her glance to the ground, then quickly looked at Ivory, who mirrored her stricken expression.

"Ha, i guess you could say that." Vlad chuckled as he flipped off an albino warlock standing with another with vibrant blue hair. The pair waved with sarcastic grins.

Severin ran a hand through his hair in irritation and looked around. He pointed to a tent off in the distance. "That's where she's been since she got here awhile back. I'll take you there. But: only the boy. No one else. Ana doesn't take kindly to guests."

Valerie nodded. "It's ok. I have other business to attend to anyways."

Severin walked off with Shawnalin following him, leaving the group.

Val went back to the group and got Tarren's attention. "Holy Witch Zacaria is very difficult. We need to be careful."

"I understand, babe. I've met her before," Tarren responded. "Should we all go in?"

Valerie nodded and set off towards the tent's opening.

Dominick, while following Valerie's lead, focused on Ebony. "Come on, tell me."

Shawn giggled at Vlad's crudeness. "Glad to know I'm dating a celebrity."

Shawnalin followed Severin to the tent silently. He couldnt believe he was back here... It much; just modernized. He grinned, memories coming back to him.

"I come too." Varjak mumbled quietly.

Noting Severin was about to say something against it, Shawnalin shook his head, "believe me, Ana wont mind."

Severin glared but continued on his way; the twins followed.

Erik nearly choked, "'Holy Witch' Zacaria?" Vlad's eyes widened and he shot Erik a worried look, "...Zacaria's the... Oh sh*t... Maybe i better sit this one out you guys..." He squeaked.

Ebony opened her mouth to speak, but Ivory gave her a glare... "Nothing... We dont know Drave- i mean that guy." Ivory said, putting a comforting arm around her sister.

Severin approached a secluded tent with the twins behind him, fearful of Ana Storm's well known wrath. He just hoped that if she was angered at the brothers' arrival, she wouldn't take her anger out on him. He wanted to at least get that cute girl's number before he was obliterated by a pissed off witch.

With the group, Dominick gave a confused shake of the head to the girls, continuing on his walk. Maybe he'd find out their secret later, but now was not the time. There were bigger issues at the moment.

Valerie looked at Erik, and asked him, "You know her? I wouldn't doubt it considering your reputation, but still. What's your history with her?"

Ana could hear Severin's approaching footsteps, "Come in," she called as he and two other people got to the doorway. the visitor's faces were shrouded in shadow so she couldnt see their faces, but she had a vague feeling she knew them.

"well..." Erik started.

"...she may have been the witch i slept with and p*ssed off and got turned into a vampire by." Vlad chuckled nervously.

Li's eyes widened, "does that mean she wont help us?"

"...im pretty sure it lowers our chances..." Vlad replied solomnly.

Severin stepped aside and let the boys enter the dark tent. He stayed by the opening, maintaining a safe distance from the witch. "Ana, these are boys from the Graves family. They have business with you apparently. The whole clique's here."

Valerie face palmed and groaned, really getting tired of Vlad somehow making everything harder. She death glared at Erik and Vlad, muttering, "Hopefully she's bad with faces... Or very, very forgiving."

Dominick smacked Vlad on the back of the head. "If it eventually comes down to either you or the rest of us getting safety, you're up the creek without a paddle, gay boy."

Ana jumped to her feet, "Shawnalin!" The woman cried, wrapping her arms around his neck, then regaining her composure and dipping her head in polite greeting.

"Hello Ana." Shawnalin said.

"How have you been?"

Varjak stayed where he was, a dark look entering his eyes, "we dont have time for small talk." He growled.

"Varjak." Shawnalin sent his brother a silencing glare, "we need your help." Shawnalin explained everything quickly.

"Will you help?" Varjak's look of being uncomfortable became a desperate expression.

"do i have a choice?" Ana gave Shawnalin a joking look. She obviously wasnt worried avout the severity of the situation.

"No." Shawnalin turned and left the tent, not bothering to see if she was following. Varjak was like a shadow next to him, silent. Fearful. Lost in thought as they made their way to Zacariah's tent. Ana ran to catch up.

"thanks, that's very comforting Dom." Vlad frowned, tightening his grip unconsciously around Shawn.


End file.
